Happy holidays to everyone

The imperial carriage set out in May, five days after the Crown Prince's birthday and Empress Renxiao's death anniversary. On the first day of May before that, the Tenth Prince's wife, Abagai Borjigit, gave birth to his fifth son, and the day of the third bath coincided with this celebration.

The Eighth Prince's concubine, Mao, gave birth to a child on the day the emperor set out on his journey - it was a very untimely birth.

Women have no part in the lively farewell procession. You can pack your husband and son's luggage at home and give them a lot of instructions before they leave, but it is unlikely that you will appear in the farewell procession on the outskirts of the city, at least not now.

The Eighth Concubine sat in her room, lost in thought. The first group of princes to accompany the emperor were the Fifth, Eighth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth. The younger ones didn't need to be replaced, and the older ones, who were married, should be back in about two months, right? Zhang's son was growing up well now. By the time the Eighth Prince returned, he would be able to recognize people, right? By then, Mao would have given birth...

As she was thinking, there was a commotion outside, and the Eighth Lady frowned. She was a good steward of the household, and her servants knew her temper. She was a very good person, but it was noisy.

In May, summer arrived, and the door curtains had been replaced with beaded curtains instead of cotton and soft silk. The Eighth Lady's newly appointed maid parted the curtains and went to the west wing to investigate. From the sound, she knew that was where Madam Mao lived. After Madam Mao was confirmed to be pregnant, the Eighth Lady followed the example set by Madam Zhang and moved her to her own courtyard, but the east wing was given to Madam Zhang, leaving Madam Mao to live in the west.

The minute hand of the Western chime clock on the treasure chest had only moved a fraction when the eldest maid rushed forward. Her expression was quite complex, a mixture of joy, hesitation, and a bit of stiffness. "Fujin, the baby in the west wing is about to give birth."

The Eighth Lady threw aside her thoughts about her husband and stood up: "Where's the midwife?!"

Meanwhile, outside the city walls, the Crown Prince and the remaining members of the Imperial family saw off the Emperor and his entourage. Hongzao, still young, did not attend, but Hongchen, who would be attending school next year, was brought out to see his brothers off. After persistent efforts, little Honggui finally secured a spot on the trip, freeing himself from the burden of lamenting his brother's presence in the capital.

The Crown Prince hadn't done anything like seeing someone off for a long time. In recent years, he had only accompanied the Emperor. He had written a long speech in his mind, but it was not used. Kangxi was talking a lot today, and he was worried about his son's physical and mental state: "I have always been confident in leaving the affairs of the capital to you. I will take care of the brothers Hongdan, so you can rest assured. You should also take good care of yourself and don't let me worry about your health anymore."

"Thank you, my son, Khan Ama. Khan Ama, don't worry, my son, cough cough," he coughed a few times, "my son will be fine after this period."

Kangxi pursed his lips. He had another purpose in keeping Yinreng in Beijing: "You can handle Soetu's funeral. He's dead, so don't dwell on it. Just give him what he deserves." His busy schedule for Soetu's funeral made it clear to him that he was dead, and he completely resigned himself to following his father wholeheartedly. This was also a test: his handling of Ming and Suo's funerals would reveal the Crown Prince's true character.

Yinreng lowered his head and bowed deeply.

Kangxi also gave some instructions to the third and fourth princes, saying that they should assist the crown prince and do their work diligently. If they don't do their job well, they will not be allowed to come and play in two months, etc. After that, he said a few words to the ministers who stayed behind. This time, Li Guangdi was also kept by him, uh, to get along with the crown prince.

After saying this, the emperor considerately gave his sons time to say goodbye to each other and keep in touch.

When Kangxi spoke, no one dared to move. When the princes spoke, the crowds began to stir. Many were reluctant to leave, and Honggui was overjoyed. He was considering flirting with his grandfather and living closer to his eighteenth uncle. He was the same age as the eighteenth prince, just three months younger, and they got along well. Yesterday, they had played a game of chess, but were stopped mid-game. They had to decide the winner today.

Hongchen looked at his brothers pitifully. Hongdan raised his hand and slapped Honggui on the back of the head, then calmly withdrew his hand, walked over slowly, lowered his head and said to Hongchen: "My brothers have gone to serve the emperor. Mother, father and younger brother are left to you to take care of them at home."

Hongchen had been feeling depressed for a few days, pouting now, and still somewhat unhappy about accepting the task. It wasn't until Hongdan agreed to intercede for him next year, and he had to write a letter reporting on the situation in the capital, such as what Tian's little brother was like this time, that Hongchen perked up again. Still stubborn, he pretended to be mature and said, "All children are like that, and Hongzao is similar."

Hongdan rolled his eyes in his heart: You are also a child, okay?

Hong Xi had been listening the entire time, and his thoughts were pretty much the same as Hong Dan's. He suppressed a laugh and said, "Even if they're almost the same, you should also write 'similar in appearance to Hong Zao'. They've almost finished talking over there, and it's time to leave. You should go back and serve your father and mother well."

The large group of people sped away in a cloud of dust. Yinreng looked at the long procession for a while, then lowered his head to see his son standing beside him, staring at them eagerly, his large eyes gleaming suspiciously. Yinreng laughed, lowered his head, and patted Hongchen's head: "Next year you will be old enough to accompany the emperor, but this year - don't you want to be with your father and mother?"

Hongchen was a little anxious: "No, Ama, son...son..."

Yinreng smiled and picked him up, spun him around in a big circle, then put him down again. "Let's go back. Your mother should be waiting for us to have dinner. I wonder if there's anything delicious she can prepare?"

Hongchen thought for a moment and said, "I want to eat cold noodles."

Yinzhi and Yinzhen's mouths twitched as they listened to this. Prince, what an image, what an image!

When the brothers were worried, the Q version of Li Guangdi stroked his beard and said: Prince, calm down.

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Yinreng said he was going back to the palace for dinner, but he did not go straight home. Instead, he kept the ministers who stayed behind and held a brief mobilization meeting before announcing the disbandment: "The weather is hot. Those who are under 50 years old or have busy errands should go back first. Those who are on duty and over 50 can avoid the heat in the court room before returning." He also ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare meals and cooling drinks.

Amidst the sounds of gratitude, Yinreng waved his hand, took his son's hand and went home for dinner.

He guessed correctly; the meal was already prepared in the Eastern Palace. Because Shujia's due date was approaching, the Empress Dowager had issued a special order for the Crown Princess to remain at rest for the foreseeable future. She wasn't allowed to pay her respects, either. What if the baby came to her on her way to pay her respects? So, the Crown Princess had a lot of free time.

However, the Empress Dowager was also a talkative person. She would send people to inquire about the Crown Princess's health, whether there was something important or not, and would send people to tell her any new jokes she heard. Shujia also had feedback: although the mother and daughter had seen less in recent days, they still talked a lot.

Recently Shujia wanted to eat cold noodles. After making them, she thought they tasted good and forced Yinreng to make a special trip to Ningshou Palace.

Seeing that Yinreng had been feeling down lately, she wanted to find him something easy. When the Empress Dowager arrived, not only did she feel happy, but she also helped Yinreng to gather some information: according to the old lady, Kangxi was interested in having a Manchu noble as the Crown Prince's Consort. This was exactly what Yinreng had suspected.

Shujia remained silent. The Shi family wasn't the most prominent in Manchuria back then, and Empress Renxiao's background wasn't strictly comparable to the Nianhulu clan. Background and qualifications depended on the specific circumstances. Perhaps one family seemed advantageous now, but when the time came to decide, circumstances might change and another might become suitable.

As long as the marriage is not between close relatives, it will be easy to deal with. Once you don't choose from Mongolia, the danger of close relatives will be much less.

Yinreng and his son went to see them off. Shujia didn't have to go to Ningshou Palace, so she started thinking about dinner early. When Yinreng came back with Hongchen, the meal was already ready.

Hongzao called out crisply, "Father." Yinreng responded, picked him up and threw him up twice. The nanny was so scared that she opened her hands for fear that the crown prince's hands would tremble and drop Hongzao to the ground.

Shujia said, "Haven't you been busy enough outside all day? Come and wipe your face so you can have dinner."

Yinreng put down Hongzao, who was still unsatisfied, and patted Hongchen's head: "Come and have dinner."

Hong Zao struggled to hold the chopsticks, much to the nanny's annoyance. According to the Eastern Palace's rules, children must eat and dress themselves once they're older. As the Crown Princess put it, "We can't indulge these bad habits."

Little Honggui once said defiantly, "My father is already so old, and my mother helped him put on his clothes that time."

Little Honggui, when did you see it?

The moment the Crown Princess turned her expression to the ferocious mode, the Crown Prince glanced at his son and said with an extremely shameless calm attitude: "When you are as old as me, you can also have someone help you dress. Now... tomorrow you will eat your own meals and grind your own ink."

Don't underestimate these small habits; when accumulated, this child's temperament is quite different from others. Repeated failures can actually hone a bit of independence and resilience. As for aura, the prince's son has it in abundance.

Crown Princess: Exercising hands-on skills can promote brain development, especially for infants and young children.

The East Palace followed the rule of silence while eating. After finishing their meal, before they could say anything, they heard a shadowy figure outside the door, as if someone was there. Yinreng raised his voice and asked, "What's going on?"

Gao Sanxie came over and said, "Master, there's news from the Imperial Hospital. They say... the Eighth Prince's Mansion has invited another imperial physician to take charge as a precaution. Someone there is about to give birth."

Yinreng sneered, "They are the only family with so many things to do! Even giving birth to a child is such a hassle." He completely forgot that when his wife gave birth, she wanted to move the entire Imperial Hospital here.

"The Eighth Prince has few children, so it's only natural for him to be careful." Shujia said something fair. Besides, after the incident of Wang's miscarriage, the Eighth Lady had to be careful too.

"I can write a few more lines to Khan Ama," Yinreng said nonchalantly, "and let me know when the child is born."

Gao Sanxie agreed, but was speechless about the situation in the Eighth Prince's mansion. He hurried out, gave a few instructions to the eunuch, and came back to serve Yinreng to go to work.

Shujia watched her two sons, who were still not in school, write in the Eastern Palace until they had a midday snack and woke up for their nap. There was still no movement from the Eighth Prince's residence. Shujia couldn't help but feel curious, wondering what had happened.

It was Mao's first time giving birth, so naturally she struggled a bit. It wasn't until mid-afternoon that she finally gave birth to a daughter.

The Eighth Lady wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, glanced at her newly born daughter and said, "Call the wet nurse and the babysitter." She then comforted Mao and told her to rest assured and recuperate, then sent someone to the palace to announce the good news.

The Empress Dowager was delighted to hear the news and sent someone to tell the Eastern Palace about it. Shujia smiled and replied, "The Eighth Prince now has both a son and a daughter."

The Empress Dowager shouted across the air: "The Imperial Concubine and the Concubine Yi also said the same thing, you two are thinking the same thing."

Shujia laughed uncontrollably after hearing this. This old lady is still so cute.

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After receiving the news, Yinreng mentioned this in his letter to Kangxi the next day. After writing the letter, he carefully checked it to make sure there were no problems. He even reported the matter of letting the old minister stay for the summer vacation yesterday, and then he felt relieved to send the letter.

The letter arrived before the emperor, just as the imperial carriage arrived in Miyun. Kangxi's gaze, through his reading glasses, fell on the Eighth Prince. He considered the Eighth Prince's progress. He then glanced at the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes standing before him, estimating their ages. They were all grown up, and the Fifteenth Prince was about to get married.

Kangxi had pondered this for quite some time: marrying a wife too early would be bad for one's health and would also be detrimental to future generations. He concluded that thirteen or fourteen was a little too young, but fifteen or sixteen would be fine. After announcing the good news to the Eighth Prince, Kangxi decided that he could now begin arranging the arrangements for the Fifteenth Prince's marriage.

If things get done quickly, it'll take until the end of this year or early next year. By then, we can bestow titles on the ninth and tenth princes, allowing them to leave the palace and establish their own residences. We can also upgrade the titles of the princes below the third prince. The third prince is already over thirty, so it wouldn't be a good idea to keep him holding the title of Beile. Even the fifth prince is thirty this year, and it's a bit unsightly for a prince of this age to still be holding the title of Beile.

Furthermore, the ninth child already had six children, some of whom died young, but the family size was too large and the space was not enough for them to live in. The tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth children also had quite a few, and they were still working hard.

How many people can live in the three-story courtyard of the prince's residence? It is necessary to move out.

The princes standing guard below were unaware that their Khan had already decided to confer titles and establish palaces upon them. Their plan now was to take advantage of the less stringent rules and more opportunities for interaction with the emperor, to become closer. Of course, for now, they had to wait until the meeting was over to go to the Eighth Prince and congratulate him.

After Kangxi announced the news, he saw that there was nothing for his sons to discuss today, so he adjourned the meeting as he was going to review memorials.

The brothers tactfully excused themselves, and went to the Eighth Prince to tease him once more before returning to their respective places. The Eighth Prince, after seeing off his brothers, received the news sent by the Eighth Lady back home.

Kangxi had already written instructions to the capital: Instruct the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department to prepare the wedding ceremonies for the fifteenth, sixteenth, and Hongxi princes, and have the Imperial Astronomical Observatory calculate an auspicious date. Furthermore, you must prepare the etiquette for the imperial grandson's marriage.

The Crown Prince was delighted to see the Fifteenth Prince marry, and he cheerfully assigned the task. The relevant departments also had their priorities. First, the Fifteenth Prince's wedding, then the Sixteenth Prince's, the Emperor's grandson's, and so on. We'll prepare for it once we're done arguing. The Imperial Observatory was more convenient; they calculated auspicious dates in recent years and let the Emperor choose whichever day he chose.

After each of them received their assignment, Yinreng tilted his neck back slightly, heard a cracking sound of bones, and felt his whole body relax a little. Just as he was about to say something, a burst of hurried footsteps came from afar - the Crown Princess was about to give birth.

Except for the difficult birth of her first son, the Crown Princess' subsequent births were relatively smooth. Yinreng remained calm after learning about this. He simply stood up and sat down again. "I understand," he paused. "Have you told the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine? Has the Imperial Physician arrived? Where's the midwife? Has the little prince been taken care of?"

Li Guangdi, observing him from the side, kindly advised, "Today's meeting is over. Why don't you go back and take a look?"

Yinreng coughed and said, "The people there are watching. I can't help even if I go." He was still tense.

Li Guangdi gave a look, and the academician on duty, the minister standing nearby, and others all understood. Starting with Li Guangdi, they excused themselves with various excuses. Some said they needed to review the day's memorials, some said they needed to supervise their subordinates' work, and some even made up stories about unfinished documents.

They retreated completely in an instant.

Yinreng then stood up and asked, "Has Hongchen been naughty?"

The one who came to report the news was Lin Si'er, who cleverly said, "The Crown Princess is in the delivery room, and we servants dare not try to persuade the young master."

Yinreng gave him a look that said, "You're very sensible," and stood up: "I have to go back and take a look."

In the Eastern Palace, Concubine Tong had already arrived, as had the people sent by the Empress Dowager. Even though Yinreng had arrived, he couldn't move forward, so he had to bring his two sons over and said, "You're going to be brothers now. You have to be more sensible, okay?" He kept muttering to his sons, leaving them confused.

This time, the Crown Princess had a natural birth, giving birth to a daughter at noon. Concubine Tong wiped her sweat. Caring for the Crown Princess during her delivery was much easier than watching the Thirteenth Concubine give birth that time. The Thirteenth Concubine had given birth to a daughter for the first time, and Concubine Tong smiled and congratulated her, but she was worried about her disappointment. For the Crown Princess, the boy or girl didn't matter anymore. The news was announced without any pressure.

Now, the prince has both a son and a daughter.

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Yinreng had been staying in Duanben Palace, giving his son a Tang Monk-style lecture. He was stunned when Wu Mingli rushed over to report the news. Fortunately, Jia Yingxuan had signaled the eunuchs in Duanben Palace to bring out the reward money, and Yinreng finally asked, "Is it a princess?"

It's no wonder he's become stupid. He's been asking for a daughter so many times but to no avail. He's become accustomed to having sons, and now a daughter is a bit of a surprise. Slowly, Yinreng's mouth widened: "Reward!"

Wu Mingli didn't care about the reward money at all, he just wanted a good start. Seeing that the prince seemed really happy, he naggled a little more: "The imperial concubine is still behind, your Highness, you——"

"I know, I know," Yinreng rubbed his hands, and looked at his sons with more favor. "Why are you two standing all the time? Aren't you tired?"

“…” Father, you have been lecturing us all the time, how can we sit still?

Yinreng's smiling face made his two sons shudder. The Crown Prince was still unaware of it and asked with a smile: "Are you happy that you have a new sister?"

The two of them nodded stupidly.

Yinreng excitedly went to his desk to write a letter to Kangxi, looking like a completely stupid father. After having so many sons, the birth of a daughter really irritated him.

Hongchen and Hongzao looked at each other in bewilderment. Hongzao asked his brother, "Brother, what does a younger sister look like? Is she fun?" There were a lot of boys in their family, and girls were really a new species, so it was understandable that they didn't understand.

Hongchen scratched the edge of his hat, then guiltily put it down. He stole a glance in his father's direction, and after realizing he hadn't been caught "out of control," he half-guessed, "It should be fun." I remember your face was pretty easy to poke, and your sister should be too...

It was already dusk when Shujia woke up. She had slept a bit too long. When she heard it was a daughter, she wasn't disappointed but a little worried: many girls in this family have married far away, so now she has to worry about this matter again. It's really a lot of worry.

Yinreng seemed to have not yet considered this. He was simply concerned about what his daughter would look like when she grew up. He heard that daughters who resembled their fathers were blessed, but would she look like me? Where would he put her when she grew up? Oh, the room next to the Duanyi Palace was used as a library. Would it be too far to put it somewhere else? The little girl would be scared.

This silly father is still thinking: his son has thick skin and is not afraid of the cold when taking a bath, but his daughter is delicate, what if she gets cold?

I felt this kind of uneasiness until after the third day of the baby's birth. When I saw my wife, she pointed at my car and laughed at me, saying, "She's still here. Where can she go? She lives in the East Palace. How far can she go?" Only then did I feel a little more sober.

Fortunately, nothing major had happened in the court in the past few days, otherwise, given his condition, he would have been in an accident. Embarrassed, he walked over to look at his daughter. The little girl's brows had just relaxed a little, and now she was sleeping soundly with her eyes closed. No matter how hard Yinreng looked at her, she refused to wake up, allowing Yinreng to fully judge who she looked like.

"Look again, she's still this big," Shujia teased. "Seriously, you should think of a name for her."

Yinreng was surprised and said, "Of course the name should be given by Khan Ama, why should I think of it?"

Shujia adjusted the pillow behind her. "What name will Khan Ama give her? Will she use the same name as her brother? If there's an imperial grandson, we'll have to wait for Khan Ama to give her a name. I'm afraid Khan Ama won't be able to take care of this girl. Over the years, even the emperor's grandsons have been one year old without a name, so the family has given them a nickname and called them randomly for two years."

Yinreng's face turned serious. "Of course our daughter is different." He had a plan in mind. His sons were all given random nicknames and used randomly for a year before being given a name. These nicknames were whatever their mothers came up with, usually something like "Bao Bao Bei Bei," translated from Chinese into Manchu to sound convincing. Anyway, they would soon have a formal name, so Yinreng didn't argue with her.

As for this daughter... "I need to think about it carefully! I must not be careless. The name Khan Ama gave to Hongdan is so good. I must not make a mistake in naming my daughter."

Mingzhu is a good name, but it's been used by an old man. It's a shame. Mongolian names are also fine, and Manchu ones aren't bad either. Chinese has many characters with deep meanings.

Shujia let him think what he wanted. A son's nickname was rarely used, so it was fine to call him anything. But a daughter's name would probably be used for a lifetime, so it was so solemn that it had to be chosen by the father.

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While the Crown Prince was thinking of a name for his daughter, as if handing it in to his father, the old emperor on the grasslands already knew of his new granddaughter. While it was true that this was an era that favored sons over daughters, it also depended on whose daughter was chosen. The Crown Prince's eldest legitimate daughter held a different significance.

Kangxi read the letter, which was filled with warmth and boasting, and his tone indicated that the shadow of Soetu had passed. Calculating the date, he realized that tomorrow was the third day of his father's birth. In a cheerful mood, he wrote with a flourish, "Let's name this child Wuyunzhu!"

The Hongxi brothers were not accompanied by their parents, so the news was conveyed by Kangxi himself.

The brothers were very happy to hear the news.

Hong Dan grinned and said, "My grandson has been looking forward to having a younger sister for many times. Our family is full of boys, but we are missing a younger sister."

One of the boys, Hongtong, and the second boy, Honggui, stared at him together.

Hong Xi coughed, but Hong Dan was still happy. "By the time we get back, my sister will have grown up. Mafa, I made a bet with my aunt the other day and just won two pearls. Can you send someone to take them back to celebrate my sister's full moon?"

Kangxi also coughed and raised his eyebrows to signal Hongdan. When Hongdan turned around, he saw his two brothers glaring at him. Hongdan blinked and said, "Mafa, is that all right?" I didn't see anything.

Kangxi laughed heartily, and laughed for a long time before he stopped. "After such a good laugh, I feel much better. Hand over the things, and I will send someone to deliver them."

Hongxi also took the opportunity to ask for permission. Seeing that their staring skills were ineffective, Hongtong and Honggui withdrew their gazes unhappily and started yelling together.

The family was harmonious and the brothers loved each other. Kangxi said with satisfaction: "You can take whatever you want to say."

The grandchildren all came together to express their gratitude. It was because of the abundance of sons that daughters became more precious. It was because the family was living well that they were in a good mood to laugh for hours on end, no matter what. Kangxi also preferred to spend more time with those who were full of laughter. Who wanted to share the misery of others by looking at them with a smile?

The Crown Prince's children all rushing back to their residence to rummage through their belongings was no small feat. Further investigation revealed that the Crown Prince's birth of a daughter was no longer a secret. The attendants remained calm, as they were unfazed by the Crown Prince's birth. With his wife back in Beijing, there was no need to worry about impoliteness. However, with this news, there was one more thing to say to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince these days.

The next day, when the fifteenth prince who was accompanying the emperor told Hongdan about this matter, the crown prince was also hit by a blow: his father had deprived him of the right to name and directly named the little princess.

This name is a bit rustic. Transliterated into Chinese, it sounds quite poetic. The Manchu meaning is ninety-seven, meaning a wish for the child to live a long life. Well, longevity is a good thing to say. Yinreng looked at the page of draft paper filled with writing and tossed it aside dejectedly.

The women of the capital were busy again. The third-day bath was over, and there was still the full moon. Even the wives of Prince Yu and Prince Ping, who were about to give birth, participated in the third-day bath ceremony and gritted their teeth and decided that as long as it was not a natural birth, they would attend the full moon ceremony.

This full-moon ceremony, though for a girl, was even more lively than for a boy's. Seven sons for only one daughter; the phrase "jewel in the palm" wasn't used for nothing. All the wives in Beijing gathered, filled with laughter and joy.

The princes' wives crowded the room to see their niece first. The baby was soft and pink, attracting everyone's attention. The newborn's eyesight was poor, and she wasn't aware she was being watched, nor was she afraid. She was full of milk, and her smile was so strong that her saliva was dripping.

The ladies gathered around and would occasionally say, "Look, she's smiling.", "Oh, why are we drooling?", "Look here, look here, my aunt has something good here." They would take off a crystal bracelet and swing it back and forth.

The Fourth Lady looked at her niece and asked Shujia, "Has the little princess been given a name?"

Shujia also took the opportunity to announce that the girl had been given a name by her grandfather: "Khan Ama said, the name is Wuyunzhu."

The faces of the wives froze for a moment. They all had princesses born in their families, some of whom were legitimate, but they had never been given names.

The emperor's partiality always had a certain way of showing it - it was particularly obvious and extremely outrageous.

The Third Lady would respond, "Look at the time, someone else should be arriving. Let's take our seats first."

When they got outside, Shujia was shocked to see Shuyi and Cao Jiashi, both of them pregnant, showing up! "If anything happens to you, I can't afford to pay you!"

He quickly arranged for a place to stay. "How could you two be so careless? It's already this late in the month, and you're still running around?" He looked at Shuyi with an extra layer of reproach. "This is your first child. It's hard enough just to stay home and wait for the birth. How dare you go out?"

Shuyi smiled and said, "Second sister, I'm fine. I think it would be better if I could get out and move around. It's not a good thing to stay stuck at home all the time."

Cao Jiashi lowered her attitude even further: "We are the younger generation, how can we be so pampered?"

Shujia held her forehead and said, "You two should be careful." She specially called two maids to look after them.

Outside, word reached the Xiluo family that Xiluo had arrived. Shuyi, holding onto the nanny's hand, stood up. "Sister, I can't leave without seeing Mother." Shujia saw Caojia was about to get up, so she hurriedly told her to sit down as well. "Don't run around with me. Rest here. I'll send someone to call you when I need you."

Cao Jia came here to make her position clear. The child hadn't been born yet, and it wasn't known whether it was a boy or a girl. It was not easy to offend anyone in the palace. After hearing the Crown Princess' words, she sat down again.

Xiluo was also shocked when she saw Shuyi's belly: "How did you come out?" Wendu and Jueluo came with Xiluo. One supported Xiluo while the other came over to support Shuyi: "Auntie, please be careful."

Jueluo was also a member of the imperial clan, so she was more relaxed when she spoke to Shuyi. Shuyi said, "It's not easy for us to get together like this, so please don't blame me."

Xiluo Te said, "If not you, who else can you say? Does your eldest sister need me to say anything? Does your second sister need me to say anything? Your fourth sister hasn't even gotten married yet, so she doesn't need me to say anything yet. It's you!"

Shuyi said: "No matter what, I have someone to rely on now."

Xiluo looked at Shujia, who nodded slightly. Regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, Shuyi had finally made it through, and she would certainly take care of the child within her ability. Shuyi smiled, "How's Third Sister-in-law doing lately?"

Nalan hadn't finished mourning yet and was pregnant, so she didn't come. Xiluo Te said, "As long as she can give birth to the child safely, that's all that matters."

Shuyi consoled him: "Everything will be fine."

Zhao Guoshi came to ask again: "Master, it's almost time."

They sat down and the feast began. During the meal, Shujia glanced at the two pregnant women. If they hadn't come, they would have been accused of being impolite. But now that they were here, they were a burden. It was truly a face-saving project.

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The two face-saving projects were completed safely, and Shujia breathed a sigh of relief. After the confinement period, she was able to move around again and ran to Ningshou Palace to chat with the Empress Dowager.

After not seeing her for over a month, the Empress Dowager was looking forward to playing with her grandson's wife. When they met, she asked, "You look very well. How is the little princess?"

Xiao Gege was the crown prince's third daughter, but her two older sisters died before their first month of life, so calling her the eldest daughter wouldn't be an exaggeration. She was also the first daughter born to the crown princess. However, the imperial family prioritized order, and many people, after much deliberation, ended up vaguely calling her Xiao Gege. Regardless, she was indeed the youngest.

"Look at her. She's tougher than her brothers. She looked so well behaved before the full moon, but after yesterday, her true colors showed. She's quite naughty!"

The Empress Dowager had taken care of the little girl before, so she felt she was an authority in this regard, and she began to give instructions: "Are you wrapped too tightly? The weather is hot now, don't catch a heatstroke." Then she listed a lot of precautions at once, which stunned the concubines who came to pay their respects.

The Empress Dowager finished speaking as she wished, accepting everyone's surprised looks with satisfaction. She couldn't help but boast a little more: "That's how the Fifth Princess was brought up."

The fifth princess, she is dead!

The Empress Dowager began to wipe her tears again, which made Concubine De feel sad too. Concubine Tong saw that the Crown Princess's face was almost distorted, and hurriedly advised the Empress Dowager: "Look at you, if you are like this, the Fifth Princess will not be able to leave with peace of mind." After much persuasion, she persuaded the Empress Dowager to rest.

The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and said, "I'm fine. You can all go back." She sent away the palace concubines, but kept the Crown Princess. It turned out that she had something else to discuss with the Crown Princess.

After sending away the people who came to pay their respects, he discussed with the Crown Princess: "Last year, the Emperor said that he would find a good girl for the Crown Prince, but he was busy and it was not convenient for you, so it was delayed. Now that you are out of confinement, we have nothing else to do. The Emperor and his men are not in the capital, and everyone is bored. How about inviting a few young girls to come and talk to them tomorrow?"

Shujia agreed with her and said, "As long as you make the decision on this matter, it will be fine." Having been around the Empress Dowager for many years, she was finally shot today. Although Shujia knew that she did not mean it, she still felt a little uncomfortable.

The Empress Dowager said, "How can this be? You have to watch over your daughter-in-law too."

Shujia said, "Okay."

"Let me think about it. It's been so hot these past couple of days, and I don't feel like moving much. How about autumn?"

"I'll listen to you," it's already June anyway, "you said it's hot, let's have lunch early and take a break. We'll talk about this in two days, I can go back to see the kids." Hurry, I have to go back and burn two incense sticks in front of the Buddha.

This time the Empress Dowager said nothing and released the man.

Shujia went back and lit incense in front of the several Buddha statues in her courtyard. As the smoke curled up, Shujia's heart gradually calmed down, and she turned back to look at her daughter. The little girl had been naughty all morning, and the nanny had already changed shifts. Hongxiu hurried over and said, "Master, the news outside is that this morning, Prince Yu's wife gave birth to a little boy."

Shujia was also happy: "Finally, the baby is born! Are both the adults and the baby okay? Is she tired?"

Hongxiu said: "Everything is fine, both mother and child are safe."

"That's good."

Of course, there were more good news. Three pieces of good news were reported to the emperor from the capital. In addition to the princess of the Eastern Palace and the prince of Prince Yu's mansion, the wife of Prince Ping's mansion also gave birth to Prince Ping's eldest son on June 26th.

In contrast, the imperial court returned to the capital with a piece of obituary: "On the fourth day of the ninth month, the eighteenth prince, Yinxuan, passed away."

When the news came, everyone was stunned. The Eighteenth Prince was a healthy child, and the news of his death came too suddenly. The Empress Dowager's first reaction was: "The sun disappeared a few days ago, which is a bad omen!" Well, there is a solar eclipse in August, and the old lady has been uneasy for several days.

Shujia's first reaction was: "I wonder how the children are doing over there."

Yinreng recovered faster. "Hongxi and Hongdan are grown up and can look after their brother. They are sensible children, don't worry too much." He also wanted to ask for permission to prepare for the Eighteenth Prince's funeral. "By the way, go see Concubine Wang. This is the cause of the commotion."

Shujia agreed verbally and went to see Concubine Wang, but she was still worried about her son.

This worry was justified. In the camp, Honggui drooped his head and pondered Kangxi's words.

"My own life is a heavy responsibility. I fear the loss of life to the aging Empress Dowager, and the people of the world all depend on me. What does a mere child matter to me? I will give up my love and depart."

This is what Kangxi said when Yinhuan was seriously ill a few days ago, but now Yinhuan is dead.

For several days, Honggui was in low spirits, which was quite different from the death of the Eighteenth Prince.

Hongxi and Hongdan were both teenagers, and it took them two days to realize something was wrong. They had to comfort Kangxi, act like good children, and lament along with the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Princes. By the time they noticed their younger brother, Honggui had already been wilting for two days.

Hongdan cheered up and tried to comfort Honggui: "Life and death are determined by fate. Don't be too sad..." Eighteenth Uncle was about the same age as him, and they had a good relationship. This was a big blow. He had to be brought home safely.

Ever since Kangxi made the above remarks, Honggui had been thinking about this matter for half his mind, which effectively diluted the sadness of his playmate's death. At this moment, as soon as his brother spoke, he expressed his doubts.

So that's what happened. Hongdan was relieved. This kind of thing is easier to explain. "How could Mafa not care about Uncle Eighteen? Mafa stopped for four days for Uncle Fourteen. She can't put it off any longer. She's definitely sad, but she can't stay sad forever, right? Mafa also feels bad for Uncle Eighteen, but she can't just give up on her work."

He then lectured Honggui on a host of principles. In short, a man should be responsible. It wasn't as if Kangxi wasn't a loving father; he was already very kind to the Eighteenth Prince. A man has to shoulder a lot, and even his tears must be swallowed alone. Being an emperor is hard; one has to bear so much hardship all by oneself, and so on and so forth. Finally, he discussed the relationship between work and family, and his recent observations and experiences.

After working on ideological and political work for several days, Hongdan also had to take into account many other matters, such as comforting the emperor, studying government affairs, and having heart-to-heart talks with his fifteenth and sixteenth uncles. He was exhausted like an old ox, but at least he had the situation under control.

Kangxi was truly resilient, holding out until the end of September before returning to the capital, looking haggard. Kangxi's appearance threw off the prepared expression Yinreng had prepared for him. The Crown Prince had originally planned to project a look of sorrow and grief, yet forced himself to suppress it – his eighteenth brother was a good boy, how could he have died?

As soon as she saw Kangxi, she didn't need to think about anything and burst into tears: "Khan Ama, how come you are so thin?" Kangxi was still quite fleshy when he was young, especially when he was around forty, his cheeks were quite plump. In recent years, he has lost some weight, and he is still a guy with some weight.

Now, his cheeks have become sunken and he looks smaller.

The loss of a son in his later years was a profound blow to Kangxi. After the death of his eighteenth prince, Kangxi was so distraught that he didn't eat for a whole day. Only after being consoled by his sons, grandsons, and ministers did he finally have some porridge the next day. He remained ill for two more days before finally getting up and slowly walking back home. He even warned everyone: "It's just a child who died! I'm fine!"

It was because of his actions that Honggui's inner discomfort was transformed into experience and lessons, which promoted his growth.

The father and son hugged each other and cried bitterly. Kangxi cried a few times, venting for a while, then realized that something was wrong. They were in public together. He wiped away his tears and said, "Go back and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager." Don't cry, it's embarrassing.

Yinreng swallowed hard, noticing that he was crying under the watchful eyes of his son, and wiped away his tears. He glared at him, his eyes nearly popping out: "Honggui, what's wrong with you?"

The kid has lost a lot of weight, and Honggui has also changed from a fat boy to a thin body. He looks much healthier, which makes his father very worried.

Back at the palace, there was another commotion, and it was the newborn little sister who comforted the brothers' frightened hearts for nine months. But that's another story.

The forty-seventh year of the Kangxi reign was truly a troublesome year.

The author has something to say:

First of all, I wish you all a happy holiday.

Regardless of your gender, we will spend today together, so be happy.

PS: I will continue to write this article. I was just doing a survey yesterday because I talked about this matter with my friends, so I just did some research.

Well, for those who want to read on, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll continue writing. I'll cover what happens after I ascend the throne, as I've laid a lot of groundwork in the past. Also, I really want to cover the politics of the court, but I'm worried that if I write too much, you'll get bored. Now I can continue writing with peace of mind.

For those who don't want to read this part, I'll let you know when I finish writing the title. Basically, once you see the title, you'll know what it means!