Chapter Thirty-Six

When the Empress learned that Yongqi and Yongxing would be studying at the Imperial Study the following year, she hesitated for a moment, but still began making preparations. Emperor Qianlong entrusted the Empress with the selection of tutors for the two princes and servants for Haha Zhuzi, as well as the candidates for the future husbands of the Fourth and Fifth Princesses. The Fourth Princess's lips twitched when she heard this; Qianlong was in such a hurry!

The Empress summoned Consort Yu, who was nominally the foster mother of the two princesses, but in reality, she was their biological mother. Of course, the Empress was putting on a show for the Emperor. The Fourth Princess glanced at the list of candidates. Fu Heng's eldest son, Fu Ling'an, was prominently listed. The Fourth Princess pondered this. Although Fu Ling'an came from a prestigious family, he was born out of wedlock. In this rigidly hierarchical feudal society, what did Qianlong mean by including Fu Ling'an? The Fourth Princess noticed two interesting candidates: the legitimate son of Che Ling and the legitimate son of Che Ling Wubashi. Although the Fourth Princess didn't know what Che Ling was, she could guess it was Mongolia. After some thought, the Fourth Princess felt that being far from the Qing Dynasty might not be a bad thing, avoiding future struggles for the throne. Of course, they had no say, and the Empress, considering the Mongolian influence, wasn't thinking about marrying the Fourth Princess off.

Consort Yu remained silent about the selection of a consort, knowing full well that her words carried little weight. She followed the Empress's wishes, and the Empress removed a few from the list of a dozen or so people, leaving ten to be selected together with the Empress Dowager.

The Emperor had already chosen the maids and tutors for Yongqi and Yongxing. The list shown to the Empress was already finalized; the Empress had only glanced at it. The Fourth Princess, the Fifth Princess, and Lanxin's tutor were all from noble families. The Fourth Princess's lips twitched at this arrangement. She thought the Emperor was joking; she had never heard of a princess going to the Imperial Study. But since Little Swallow's miracle had occurred, it wasn't impossible for them to go to the Imperial Study! Thinking this, the Fourth Princess's lips curled into a slight smile.

Consort Yu's body was now very heavy and cumbersome. Looking at her two daughters, although it pained her to have given them away, she knew they were doing well, and she could be by the side of the god she admired. How could she forget the scene by Daming Lake more than a decade ago? She was walking along the lakeside, wanting to examine the lotus flowers after the rain, when she slipped and was about to fall into the water. It was he who caught her in his arms and saved her. Now, she could be by the god's side, and she was grateful to heaven for giving her the opportunity to meet, know, and stay with him.

Leaving the Empress's courtyard, Consort Yu walked towards her own. Supported by her pregnant belly, she struggled to walk. Consort Yu, increasingly exuding the air of a palace mistress, felt comforted. Consort Yu occasionally offered pointers. The servants carefully attended to her as they moved forward. Consort Yu was very grateful to Consort Xia; without her guidance, she might have made many mistakes.

"This servant greets Consort Yu." Consort Ling bowed her head and greeted Consort Yu.

"Sister Ling, please get up!" Consort Yu didn't make things difficult for Consort Ling by calling her up. Consort Yu just couldn't bring herself to like Consort Ling, especially these past two days, as the Emperor had been sleeping at Consort Ling's place all the time and hadn't visited her for several days. "Sister, you look quite well."

“No one can compare to Sister Yu’s beautiful appearance.” Consort Ling kept her head half-lowered.

"Now that I have seen you, sister, it must be fate. Why don't we take a walk together? I have never been to the Yuanmingyuan before. Please lead the way so that I can enjoy the scenery."

"It is my honor," Consort Ling replied humbly on the surface, but inwardly she was gritting her teeth.

Consort Ling had planned to go back and have the Emperor visit her that night so she could put some pressure on Consort Yu, but unexpectedly, the Emperor went to Consort Yu's courtyard that night.

"Your Majesty, Consort Ling is truly a thoughtful and considerate person." Seeing the Emperor's puzzled expression, Consort Yu continued, "Today, after leaving the Empress's residence, I met Consort Ling. I thought that since Consort Ling is a senior member of the palace, she has naturally accompanied Your Majesty to the Yuanmingyuan many times. However, I asked Consort Ling to lead me to appreciate the garden. Consort Ling led me to many places and even let me rest for a while at each place."

Consort Yu was unaware that the Emperor had come to interrogate her. He had heard from the guards that Consort Yu had gone to places she shouldn't have. "Where did Consort Yu go? Tell me!" Consort Yu immediately rattled off several places, specifying the gate number and directions (east or west) instead of the courtyard names. Afterward, she praised the unique scenery within. The Emperor stared into Consort Yu's eyes, carefully observing her facial expressions. After a long while, he believed her. A woman who had never been to the capital, a woman who had never been to the Yuanmingyuan, even if she knew which gardens were off-limits, could easily be led there without realizing where she was. Consort Ling, she's resorting to such methods to gain favor.

Emperor Qianlong would never know that Consort Yu knew she had gone to a place she shouldn't have upon her return. Her attendant, Granny Xia, immediately whispered a reminder that if the Emperor came, she should first mention visiting the garden and praise Consort Ling. If the Emperor asked where she had gone, she should only state the direction and the gate number, and not specify which courtyard.

Consort Ling would never have known that her attempt to sow discord between Consort Ling and the Emperor had backfired, with Consort Yu doing the work first. Consort Yu was far more skillful, making the Emperor increasingly dissatisfied with her. The Emperor's original plan to restore Consort Ling's rank was abandoned because of this incident, and he was even forced to send Wu Shulai several copies of the "Admonitions for Women," to be copied a hundred times as punishment.

Consort Ling was punished, and the other women who came with her were secretly delighted. Consort Yi, who had always been inconspicuous, enjoyed the emperor's favor for several days in a row.

Consort Jia's health was rather poor; she had just recovered from smallpox but caught a cold and collapsed. The Emperor visited her twice but did not stay. The Empress excused Consort Jia from her morning greetings and inquired several times about her condition from the imperial physician. The physician only said she needed to rest, using a lot of medical jargon that the Empress couldn't understand. The Empress frowned and bestowed many gifts as a sign of her concern.

The Emperor has been busy with the surrender of the Dzungar Khanate lately and has gone to the Summer Palace.

Fourth Princess continued teaching early childhood education books in the Bamboo Courtyard. The younger children studied diligently, and the princesses who were preparing to go to the Imperial Study next year also followed along earnestly. The two princes' tutors and Haha Zhuzi had already been sent to the Yuanmingyuan Garden and were also memorizing the books. Fourth Princess had always wanted to see the Great Fountain, but firstly, she hadn't had the opportunity, and secondly, she wasn't sure if the Great Fountain had been completed yet.

~~~

At the end of September, Emperor Qianlong returned to the Yuanmingyuan Garden with good news. As soon as he stepped into the garden, he heard from servants that Consort Yu had given birth. The Empress stood in Consort Yu's courtyard. Consort Ling could not leave because she had to copy the "Precepts for Women." Consort Yu and Consort Shu accompanied the Empress. Consort Yi stood in a corner, not daring to stand out. Consort Yi had also been found to be pregnant shortly after Qianlong left. The Empress rewarded her with many gifts according to her usual allowance and naturally sent someone to report the matter to the Emperor.

Since this was not Consort Yu's first childbirth, and it was her first pregnancy, she gave birth to a princess in less than two hours. When Emperor Qianlong stepped into the courtyard, he heard the nanny announce that a princess had been born.

Emperor Qianlong was overjoyed upon hearing this and ordered a reward. The Empress ordered a servant to report the good news to the Empress Dowager. In high spirits, Qianlong told the Empress that he would elevate Consort Yi's rank. The Empress thought to herself that there was a shortage of consorts, and to prevent Consort Ling from having designs on them, it would be good to elevate Consort Yi. "Should we discuss this with the Empress Dowager?"

"I'm so sorry to trouble the Empress." The surrender of the Dzungars was a relief to Emperor Qianlong. It had been a long-standing worry for him. Ever since the late Emperor, he had been trying to subdue the Dzungars. Even though only a portion of them had surrendered this time, it eased one of his worries.

When Consort Ling learned of Consort Yi's promotion to Imperial Concubine, she had already torn her handkerchief by biting it. When Consort Ling learned that Consort Yi had been granted residence in Chonghua Palace, she gritted her teeth and tore several fine embroidered handkerchiefs to shreds.

Suddenly, ministers other than those in the Ministry of Rites began submitting memorials, arguing that the system of nannies for princesses' weddings was inappropriate. The Ministry of Rites was overwhelmed by these accusations, questioning how such an ancestral rule could be abolished so easily. The old censors in the Ministry of Rites were also troubled; their own princesses had all married, and upon returning home, not only were they unfriendly, but they had also taken concubines. The old men in the Ministry of Rites had no choice but to endure the situation. However, the daily accusations from the ministers were becoming unbearable. While they verbally insisted that the ancestral rules could not be abolished, they began to waver in their hearts.

Emperor Qianlong summoned the Ministry of Rites and instructed the censors to select an auspicious date for Consort Yi's marriage. He then discussed the titles and betrothals of the Fourth and Fifth Princesses. The betrothals were naturally not the censors' responsibility, but the titles would be chosen by the censors, with the final decision resting with the Emperor. Of course, the censors also provided suggestions for the consorts.

The censors used the matter of bestowing titles upon the princesses as an excuse to apologize to the emperor, but they also argued that ancestral rules could not be abolished. They suggested that the emperor add some requirements to the ancestral rules, such as requiring the nannies to be replaced every few years, and allowing the princes to spend a fixed number of days each month with the princesses. Qianlong listened and pondered for a moment, then nodded. This was indeed a matter worth considering.

The censors breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the emperor had softened his stance. None of them dared to ask the emperor what would happen to the princesses in the households of officials of the fourth rank or above, but they all knew that as long as the emperor was appeased, their households would be at peace.

After dismissing the censors, Qianlong looked at the remaining candidates after the Empress Dowager and Empress had selected a few. He narrowed it down to three: Harichagai, son of Cheling of Mongolia; E'yue, the eldest grandson of Ortai; and Fuling'an, son of Fuheng. Fuling'an was chosen by the Empress Dowager and was naturally intended for Qing'er. Harichagai was Cheling's eldest son. Qianlong pondered for a long time, hesitating between the Fourth and Fifth Princesses, before finally making his decision. He would first arrange a marriage, and then allow the princesses to live out their lives for a few years before the wedding.

Several young men from the Mongol Sancheling were summoned to Beijing by Emperor Qianlong. When they arrived at the wooden gate, Emperor Qianlong naturally wanted to examine them.

~~~

The Fourth and Fifth Princesses were naturally included in the trip to the wooden palisade. Yongxing and Yongqi, who were not yet skilled in archery, came along to watch the excitement. Lanxin was taken away by the Empress Dowager to accompany her at the Yuanmingyuan Garden, while Qing'er was sent to the hunting grounds. The Empress naturally understood the Empress Dowager's intention: to let Qing'er see Fuling'an before the betrothal. However, the Empress was unaware of who Qianlong truly favored to marry Harichagai.

The Fourth and Fifth Princesses followed the sickly Yongzhang. In the Fourth Princess's eyes, Yongzhang was merely a sickly beauty; he was simply physically weak, and his speech wasn't at all like what was described in every book—lacking confidence or anything like that. Yongzhang was quite talkative, and his knowledge was no less than that of the other princes. He seemed content with his current state, free from the Emperor's constraints, doing what he pleased. The Fourth Princess thought that perhaps Yongzhang was doing this on purpose, deliberately trying to incur the Emperor's dislike. It was also possible that Yongzhang and the Emperor had reached some private agreement; the former was possible, while the latter was extremely unlikely.

"Third Brother, where are you taking the two sisters?" After returning from hunting with the Emperor, the Fifth Prince saw Yongzhang walking along the river with the Fourth and Fifth Princesses. He rode over and asked Yongzhang, but did not dismount.

"Oh, Fifth Brother, you're really making quite a show of yourself. I have to ask Father Emperor, Fifth Brother's brotherly love is truly different from others." Fourth Princess smiled as she looked at Fifth Prince, without revealing at all that the Emperor was not far behind him.

Yongzhang naturally saw the Emperor and immediately knelt down to pay his respects. The Fourth and Fifth Princesses followed behind, bowing and offering their greetings. The Fifth Prince remained frozen on his horse, not daring to move.

"Yongqi!" Qianlong's face was grim. He saw his elder brother not dismounting, and he didn't even flinch when his brother knelt before him. What was he planning to do?

The Fifth Prince jumped off his horse and knelt before the Third Prince. This action was observed by Emperor Qianlong, whose gaze turned cold. "Rise! How is Yongzhang's health?"

"Your Majesty, my health is as good as ever. I take the prescriptions from the imperial physicians on time every day," Yongzhang replied respectfully. The Fourth Princess had been watching Yongzhang's expression closely. Contrary to expectations, he didn't burst into tears upon hearing the Emperor's question. Yongzhang remained calm, as if he were quite used to such inquiries.

"Well, how are things going with what you mentioned?"

"Father, I've discovered many interesting things, and I'm thinking of bothering you when you have time," Yongzhang replied. This piqued the Fourth Princess's curiosity, while the Fifth Prince frowned. The Fifth Princess, however, was secretly pleased to see her son's predicament. The Fourth Princess grew increasingly certain that Yongzhang wasn't as portrayed in the novel, and perhaps not as simple as history described.

"Come on, tell me about your new tricks." The Emperor called Yongzhang away, "You all go back and rest! After Yongqi returns to the capital, make me copy the Rules for Students a hundred times."

Fourth Princess was curious about what Yongzhang wanted to say to the Emperor, but she knew she couldn't eavesdrop on anything happening behind the Emperor's back. She and Fifth Princess bowed to the Fifth Prince and left. Fifth Princess was quite amused by Yongqi's embarrassed expression earlier, "Fourth Sister, aren't you afraid of offending someone?"

"Fifth Brother is a two-faced person. He wants to win us over, but he also acts superior to us. He thinks everyone has to curry favor with him."

"Fourth sister is absolutely right."

Author's Note: Oops, I broke my promise... I won't go into the reasons...

I have something to do tomorrow, but I'll try my best to update...