Chapter 264 Extra Chapter 5: Yan Wanru Chun

The spring weather was perfect, and the flower room had cultivated many precious flowers. There weren't many people in the palace to begin with, so Fucha Yingjun took advantage of the fine weather to have everyone gather in the Imperial Garden.

Hongzhao has been on the throne for ten years now, but he became emperor at a young age and is only twenty-six years old at most.

The concubines in the harem were comparable to his father, and there were only a handful on his fingers. However, in terms of offspring, they were slightly better.

First, there was the Empress. She gave birth to the eldest prince, Yongrui, right after ascending the throne. After recuperating for two years, she gave birth to the eldest princess, Saiyin Saiyin. Although she was unable to conceive again after that, these two children were the emperor's favorites, which was quite impressive.

Counting down by rank, the next is Consort Xian, who gave birth twice. However, her first child, the third princess, was born weak and could not be carried to term. Now she only has one daughter, the fifth princess, who was born after many years of recuperation following her first birth.

Although she was just a daughter, he loved her dearly and took good care of her every day. Hongzhao also felt sorry for her. In the whole palace, only the Fifth Princess and the First Princess had the same name. He gave her a Manchu name, Moyaqi, which means longevity flower.

He hoped that his daughter, whom he had finally obtained and who had almost cost her mother half her life, would always be healthy, along with her sister's.

Consort Gao's father, Gao Bin, was meritorious in flood control. When he returned with Prince Qing and Jiu Si, Gao Xiyue was pregnant. Emperor Hongzhao generously granted her a title, and in the ten years that followed, she gave birth to the second princess Jingke and the fifth prince Yongqi.

As for why the Fifth Prince had to be named Yongqi... Hongzhao always felt that having this name might bring a little swallow to the Forbidden City in the future.

Then there's Consort Chun, Su Luyun. Among the prince's household, she came from the least prominent family and held the lowest rank. Her current status as a consort wasn't due to the emperor's favor, but simply because she was truly fertile.

Hongzhao couldn't count how many times he had visited Su Luyun, but the children were born almost in quick succession: the second prince Yongxuan, the third prince Yongzhang, the fourth prince Yongrong, and the fourth princess Jingyi.

Hongzhao could foresee that people in later generations, unaware of the truth, would look at these children with matching names and assume that Consort Chun was their true love.

Yongzhang was born too close to his younger siblings, and Consort Chun worried that she wouldn't be able to take care of this child who wasn't in good health. He was currently being raised in the Empress Dowager's Shou Kang Palace. It just so happened that both of his younger brothers had been granted titles and established their own residences. The Empress Dowager always liked lively gatherings, and having more children would keep things from getting lonely.

In the past ten years, apart from the third princess who died young due to poor health, Hongzhao had five sons and four daughters, which was quite a lot in terms of both quantity and quality.

During these ten years, the imperial harem was not without new members. The intermarriage between the Manchus and Mongols was an old custom. The Borjigit woman sent by the Khorchin tribe was naturally granted the rank of Noble Lady. Other tribes that wanted to send their own members were all turned away by Hongzhao.

However, Hongzhao also sent out quite a few in various ways, including but not limited to, Jin Yuyan, a tribute girl from the Yu clan, Bai Ruiji, the little pipa spirit, and a series of other embroiderers and palace maids.

He did his best to maintain as much peace as possible in the harem. After all, it was better for the children and concubines to be healthy, chatting and laughing, so that he could focus more on the affairs of the court.

The scenery in the Imperial Garden was beautiful. The only five concubines in the harem sat chatting in the pavilion. The spring breeze carried the fragrance of flowers and tea, and the sound of children playing and laughing filled the air. It was truly a pleasant experience.

The nine children were gathered in that open space, playing together in twos and threes. Many maids and nannies around them kept a close eye on their young masters, afraid that something might happen to them.

Fucha Yingjun noticed that Shushen kept turning around to look at the opposite side, and she waved to her knowingly, "Sister, come sit here with me."

Shushen glanced at her gratefully, got up to thank her, and sat down next to the Empress. From this angle, she could see the children playing everywhere. Watching Moyaqi chasing after her older sister with a smile on her face and her unsteady steps, she felt a little more at ease.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I haven't been feeling well, and these past two days, as the weather has warmed up, I've started coughing again. I really..." She explained to her maidservant with a slight chuckle, and Fucha Yingjun patted her hand reassuringly.

Having lost a child, a mother can never be too cautious. It must be said that the Emperor's harem was indeed wonderful. The women there had spent a long time together and understood the Emperor's thoughts. They lived their lives with genuine sincerity, and raised each other's children together.

Putting aside other things, when the Third Princess passed away, Gao Xiyue, who was still a concubine, was extremely saddened. When she went to Shushen, the two of them cried together. As a mother herself, she naturally understood this kind of heartache.

"Don't worry, little sister. I've already told Saiyin to take good care of you as the older sister. Children need to run and jump around to stay strong, and you'll be perfectly safe right under our noses."

The Empress's gentle voice soothed Shushen's inner turmoil. She lost her eldest daughter in the spring, a season of renewal and rebirth. She lost her beloved daughter, and ever since then, she has suffered from heart palpitations every spring until the birth of Moyaqi.

"It's alright, don't be afraid." Gao Xiyue saw the worry on Shushen's face and immediately realized the reason—"I also told Jingke, that little rascal, that if she runs around with her sister, I'll twist her ears."

Shushen was amused by her innocent words, and her smile deepened. She glanced at her disapprovingly and said, "Jingke is lively and I think she's a good person. Why do you, as her mother, always think about twisting her ears?"

The moment the Second Princess Gao Xiyue was mentioned, she immediately began to pour out her grievances. She was straightforward and her words were always interesting. Even though the matter had been told many times, it was still interesting to listen to. Consort Chun listened with a smile while holding melon seeds, and at the same time, she did not forget to ask the palace servants to prepare another cup of tea for the Noble Consort.

“Look at them, I think my princess and prince are really troublesome. Jingke makes me restless every day, and even the peacocks in the yard don’t dare to grow feathers. And look at Yongqi, he can’t read, but he can quietly play by himself all day long with a book in his hand. If only all children were this easy to raise.”

Borjigit had been in the palace for less than two years, and she knew that the masters in the palace were all easy to talk to, so she dared to chime in at this time: "Sister, don't worry. Even the Emperor said that the Second Princess has the demeanor of a Manchu aunt and will definitely not suffer any losses in the future."

"What are you saying about me?"

Just as Gao Xiyue was about to reply, she heard a clear male voice coming from not far away.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Hongzhao stepped forward and helped Yingjun up, then waved his hand and said, "Get up. Enjoying the scenery and tea with the spring breeze and willows, you didn't even invite me to such a wonderful occasion. You deserve to be punished."

"Yongrui, remember to go to the Hall of Joyful Longevity after you're done playing. Your grandfather is waiting for you for dinner." After relaying the task his father had given him, Hongzhao looked at the people around him in a good mood.

Gao Xiyue was bold and lively. Upon hearing the Emperor's words, she immediately added, "Then the Emperor still came. This shows that the Emperor was in the mood for a trip but didn't invite us."

"This makes it my fault."

Amidst laughter and conversation, everyone sat down again. Fucha Yingjun glanced behind her, then smiled and said, "Why don't you come up and serve tea to the Emperor?"

Hongzhao turned around in surprise. He rarely knew the Empress to speak like this, so it was quite novel to hear it for the first time. But when he turned around, he was met with the face of a palace maid serving tea, her hair styled in two small buns.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze subtly sweeping over the group. None of the five people present showed any unusual expression. Even Gao Xiyue, who was the most unable to hide her feelings, didn't, suggesting that Yingjun had already discussed this matter with them.

Fucha Yingjun noticed the meaning in the Emperor's eyes and explained gently, "Your Majesty did not hold the grand selection last year. It is really unreasonable that there is only one new person in the palace after ten years on the throne. This girl has been in my palace all along. She is a good girl, smart and clever. She will not cause Your Majesty any trouble."

"Very well." Hongzhao took the teacup she had been holding—"Since the Empress has taken a liking to it, it must be quite good. Besides, there are few people in the palace, so let's just confer upon her the title of Noble Lady."

Hongzhao lowered his head and blew on the teacup, just about to bring it to his lips when he remembered to ask a question.

"What's your name? How old are you?"

“This servant is Wei Yanwan, Yanwan as in Liangshi Yanwan, and I am eighteen years old this year.”