Chapter 38 After Marriage

Dong Eshi had an extremely clear understanding of herself.

She was no ordinary Manchu woman; her family's lineage traced back to the Zhao dynasty.

From a young age, she loved learning to read and write. It wasn't until she went to Jiangnan that she received a more systematic understanding of Confucian culture.

She would often wonder what her life would be like if she were truly a princess of the Song Dynasty.

But she couldn't explain any of this, and she didn't understand why she thought like this every day.

As she grew a little older and saw that her older sisters in the clan were all getting married, she began to think about her own future marriage.

However, marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers.

She had no choice in this matter.

She married Prince Xiang, who appeared to be shorter than her.

Despite her husband's innocent expression, Dong Eshi couldn't hide her disappointment.

Even though the young prince was well-read and took good care of her, she still felt empty inside.

She thought she would spend her whole life with this regret.

Until one day, at a banquet for relatives, a handsome and extraordinary figure came from afar, instantly making Dong E's heart feel like a dried-up riverbed being soaked by rain.

She pondered and pondered, but could not find a way to get close to this emperor.

Until one day, by chance, she unexpectedly stumbled upon the emperor standing alone in the imperial garden.

That day, she was supposed to accompany Prince Xiang to the palace to visit Consort Chen, but she saw Consort Chen's feigned kindness as she pulled her aside and told her to live a harmonious life together.

And the way Prince Xiang acted like a child annoyed me.

Logically speaking, she was only a concubine of Prince Xiang and was not qualified to enter the palace to meet the Dowager Consort.

However, since Prince Xiang has not yet been married and bestowed the title of Fujin, it is reasonable for her to come to the palace to see the Dowager Consort.

This was also a way for Prince Xiang to cheer her up when he saw that she was sullen.

For a concubine to be allowed to enter the palace and meet the Dowager Consort is considered an honor.

But she didn't want to see the Empress Dowager, so she made up an excuse and went to the Imperial Garden alone.

After Consort Chen expressed her displeasure at wanting to go to the Imperial Garden, Prince Xiang told her that she was uncomfortable and to let her go.

That's how Lady Dong'e came to the Imperial Garden, but she never expected to see the Emperor.

She was struck dumb. In that instant, she felt no fear at all, but only a sense that God had given her an opportunity!

She touched her face and glanced around.

Then, he used the excuse of suddenly falling down to attract the emperor's attention.

That was the first time they met.

She thought this was the time to win her true love.

From that day on, she secretly tried to please the childlike Prince Xiang, making him increasingly close to her, and then took the opportunity to say that she was going to the palace to pay respects to Consort Chen.

Prince Xiang was overjoyed, like a child who had received some rare and wonderful thing. He even said that if she wanted to go to the palace, she could just take his invitation there.

In this way, she would always have a few opportunities to see the emperor, and later the two even gradually started talking to each other.

Even last year, when Consort Chen suggested asking the Empress Dowager to find a virtuous and elegant consort for Prince Xiang, she was persuaded and stopped by her.

It is said that in less than two years, the emperor will hold a selection of noble ladies, all of whom will be of good character and talent.

Because if she had a wife, she would no longer have the right to enter the palace three or four times a month.

How could she possibly see the Emperor?

Prince Xiang is still a child, so even if it's delayed for two years, she can still help him find a truly good wife in the future.

This can be considered compensation for him.

Dong E thought this way, and everything even unfolded as she wished.

And so they became even more at ease.

The emperor valued her highly, and even though their relationship was completely innocent, this was something that made Dong E extremely satisfied.

This shows that the emperor values ​​her.

Later, the emperor did indeed blame the empress many times because of her.

Dong E felt that she was much, much happier than the heroines in those love stories.

At this point, she suddenly became uneasy.

But she didn't know how to express it.

After all, it's just a small matter.

"Your Majesty, you are not feeling well, please rest early. The eunuchs who are guarding the Emperor have said that your health is delicate and you need to take good care of yourself."

The maid stepped forward and whispered words of advice.

Lady Dong'e nodded slightly and, with the help of her maid, went to rest.

.........

Meanwhile, the security guard, who was being talked about, crouched down and stared at the cold floor tiles inside the Qianqing Palace.

He was already used to it; he had been guarding the emperor like this for many years.

After seeing the young eunuch off, Anbao recalled the first time he met Dong Eshi.

She was too risky and too naive.

If the Emperor hadn't witnessed the affair between the Empress Dowager and Dorgon that day, Dong E would have met a tragic end.

die.

They might even die in an extremely undignified manner.

A prince's concubine, seeing the emperor without any attempt to conceal it, even openly and deliberately trying to seduce him, what else could this be but death?

But Dong Eshi happened to choose the right time, and the guards didn't know why the emperor had let her go at that time.

He even played along with her in these plays, but he knew that Dong Eshi's behavior of abandoning her husband and seducing her husband's brother would definitely remind the emperor of the Empress Dowager and Dorgon's affair.

Even worse.

After all, the entire royal family knew how good Prince Xiang was to this concubine.

But things changed tonight.

For the first time, the Emperor didn't want to play along with Dong E, whose scheming was written all over her face.

The security guards felt that the harem was about to become "lively".

........

Jialuo, of course, was unaware of the undercurrents within the Forbidden City; she was extremely happy in her secluded courtyard.

On the morning of the third day, after getting out of bed, she leisurely prepared to return to the capital.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly saw Agate mysteriously enter the room and hand the envelope in her hand to Jialuo.

Jialuo raised an eyebrow, took the item, and casually asked, "What is it?"

Agate said in a low voice, "It's a letter from Khorchin."

Jialuo immediately opened the letter with delight, revealing the woman's delicate handwriting.

"!!!!!"

Jialu could hardly believe it; her third sister was actually going to become the prince's wife!

And this prince was none other than Prince Xiang!

Oh my god!

Her third older sister is eighteen years old now!!!

For a moment, Jialuo didn't know what expression to make.

The third sister, Gaowa, was originally married to Abu as his capable subordinate.

But at the beginning of last year, my brother-in-law died of a serious illness. My third sister was unwilling to marry her uncle, so she took her children and her entourage back to her parents' home.

Jialuo knew that in the early Qing Dynasty, a woman who had given birth to and raised a child was actually the most popular woman.

Even within the Qing Dynasty imperial family, the current Dowager Consort, the mother of Prince Xiang, married Huang Taiji with her child.

However, the image of Prince Xiang, who was like a child, appeared in her mind, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

This letter was also sent to her by her third sister, mainly to ask her to find out about Prince Xiang's temperament and preferences.

It's clear that the third sister came with a clear alliance, and it has absolutely nothing to do with so-called "love".

However, Jialuo couldn't help but marvel at the power and status that her Khorchin Borjigit clan had displayed in the Manchu-Mongol intermarriages.

She thought about it and decided to take the letter back. There were some things she could do, but only if her aunt and the emperor knew about them.

You can't even find out about this from other people.

Instead, it is necessary to inform the Empress Dowager and the Emperor as soon as Jialuo learns of this matter, so that they are aware of it.

With this in mind, Jialuo was unwilling to delay any longer, and she immediately led her people from the capital region to the Forbidden City.

The past two days have been filled with heavy snowfall, creating a beautiful scene.

The road was all mud, and now it's covered in snow, making it very muddy after many vehicles have passed by.

Jialuo's carriage was used by the royal family, so it was naturally not afraid of this muddy road.

On the contrary, many farmers' carriages or officials' carriages were stuck in the mud and could not be pulled out for a long time.

Seeing this, Jialuo couldn't bear it, so she asked the guards behind her to help pull the carriage.

One of the carriages wasn't stuck too deep, but the coachman seemed a bit hesitant.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the carriage wheels appeared to be broken.

When Jialuo saw the coachman's nervous look, she knew that there was a girl sitting in the carriage.

She lifted the carriage curtain, not caring about the muddy road beneath her feet, and walked directly to the carriage.

"girl?"

The little girl's sobs, which had been coming from inside the carriage, stopped when she heard a woman's voice outside the carriage door.

Jialuo was dressed in luxurious attire, and her bodyguards were all strong and powerful, so naturally no one dared to provoke her.

The coachman stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Esteemed sir, my master had to return to the capital last night due to urgent business, and my young master is not feeling well and it is inconvenient for him to travel at night."

"My master instructed me to escort the young master home early this morning, but I never expected the road to be so difficult. I beg for your help, sir. I will certainly tell you when we get home, and you will be very grateful."

The coachman spoke frankly and had a respectful expression.

Jialuo nodded slightly and said to the little girl in the carriage, "Miss, don't worry, come into my carriage first. I'll take you to the capital and have your family pick you up at the city gate."

There was no immediate reply from inside the carriage, but after a short while, it swayed slightly, the curtain was lifted, revealing a little girl with a round face and round eyes.

The little girl was extremely adorable. When she looked up and met Jialuo's gaze, her eyes were red-rimmed and moist, just like a little rabbit on the grassland!

Jialuo immediately took a liking to the little girl in front of him.

She gave a kind smile.

"Come on, let me hold your hand, let's go back to the capital together!"

The girl got off the carriage, walked up to Jialuo, gave a slight bow, and spoke in a sweet and obedient voice.

"Thank you for your help. My father is General Tong Shengnian, the General of Dingnan. I will always remember your kindness today."

Upon hearing this, Jialuo's eyes widened in surprise.

She stared in disbelief at the adorable little girl with a round face and round eyes before her. Was this the woman who conceived and gave birth to Emperor Kangxi, one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history?!

Such a lovely and lively little girl?!

At that moment, Jialuo felt that God had been very kind to her!

If this woman were to give birth to Emperor Kangxi, she would later become Empress Dowager.

And this woman before me will also become Empress Dowager thanks to Kangxi. With our current relationship, if she nurtures her, how could she not have a good life as Empress Dowager in the future?

"Oh my, so you are the daughter of Lord Tong."

Jialuo affectionately took her hand and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid. Go back and tell your father. He will know who I am."

"Tell me, how should I address you?"

After Jialuo sat down in the carriage, he smiled and asked the woman in front of him.

The Tong family girl was quite intelligent. She hadn't seen the woman in front of her while she was in the carriage, but she knew from the woman's words that she was no ordinary person.

Upon meeting her, her dignified bearing and angelic beauty made the Tong family daughter realize that there were always people more capable than herself in the capital.

Hearing her mention her father, he further guessed that the woman before him must have a close relationship with the royal family.

"The little girl's given name consists of the single character 'Yi'."

Upon hearing this, Jialuo praised, "Yishui String Song, from the Analects of Confucius, Advanced Chapter, is a fine name!"

Upon hearing this, Tong Yi blushed slightly, but her eyes sparkled as she looked at Jia Luo and asked with a smile, "Then, esteemed sir, may I ask how I should address you?"

Jialuo found the woman before her extremely appealing. She smiled and said, "You may call me Jialuo, but you cannot tell anyone my name."

"Of course, I won't tell anyone your name either."

"Gallo said with a smile."

"Um!"

A daughter's given name is a closely guarded secret, and no one except her family and husband should know it.

Therefore, married women are generally referred to by their surname plus their clan name when they are out in public.

Tong Yi was a lively person. In just one hour, Jia Luo and she had already made an appointment to go to the West Market to buy snacks when they met next.

Jialuo and Tongyi parted ways only when they reached the city gates of the capital.

The little girl clearly liked her very much too. After they parted, she even said she wanted Jialuo to write a letter to the Tong family mansion at No. 35 South Lane, under the Huaiyang tree.

Jialuo naturally agreed, and after watching the little girl get into the carriage, he instructed the carriage to continue on its way.

Having just returned to Changshou Palace, Jialuo finished bathing and washing up, preparing to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, when the Emperor arrived at her palace right on time.

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Author's Note: [Starry-eyed]